When I first began my personal journey of recovery and healing from my own addictions and addictive behavior, I heard people in my support circles speaking about gratitude. Often, I would feel annoyed thinking that they were just in denial and not dealing with the real issues. My own Co-Sex Addiction was devastating and coming out of denial and into reality was painful. How could people feel gratitude when dealing with their own character flaws and losses from childhood? At times I also judged that they were feigning gratitude as a way to avoid the real pain they were feeling. It took me time to experience authentic gratitude for myself. Slowly, I began to feel some gratitude as I started to experience my own authentic feelings. I'd have moments of deep grief and moments of ecstatic joy. Overtime, these emotions balanced out, but initially it was an up and down journey. 

    Today, while it can still be challenging at times, I do create intentional attention to gratitude. I notice the people that honor and bless me. I notice the ways in which synchronicity guides my life and I spend time each day in prayer and meditation. I appreciate the gifts that come my way. When I presence myself to my own Soul Partnerships and Spirit Guides, gratitude is inevitable. I guess in spite of myself, I feel gratitude more and more each day.

    While there is a season and time for everything, including authentic grief, I think there is a season and time for gratitude as well. Allowing ourselves moments of authentic grief, also allows us moments of authentic gratitude. 

    Today I encourage you to breathe deeply and simply connect with what is going on inside your body, mind and spirit. Allow yourself to simply be with whatever is there be it gratitude, joy, fear, sadness, etc. Just practice being with whatever is there and inviting your own Spirit Guides and Divine Source to be there with you. As you begin to really anchor and trust the foundation of this Spiritual Connection, you will also begin to connect authentically with yourself. This connection to self and your own divine source welcomes authentic grief which in turn will lead you to the experience of authentic gratitude. 

Blessings on your journey, 

Sally